But if you’re new to soccer, it’s not too late to get caught up.
Now they’re taking on the third-place finisher from Group F, Colombia, tonight at 8 P.M. EST.
The South American team upset France, winning 2-0 during an earlier match.
If Team USA wins tonight, they’ll advance to the quarterfinals against China.
If they lose, theyll be eliminated from the tournament.
Our History at the World Cup
The women’s team have a long history as contenders for the Cup.
We won in 1991 and1999; took third place in 1995, 2003 and 2007.
In 2011, we fell just short of the win to Japan and became runners-up.
Other Contending Teams
This year Germany, Japan and France are our biggest competition.
She was the youngest player on the 2011 team and scored in the final against Japan.
She was part of the gold medal team in the 2012 Olympics.
She’s a veteran on the team, a captain and mother of two.
She’s won the cup before (in 1999) and has racked up three Olympic gold medals.
Megan Rapinoe (15): Just look for the platinum blonde pixie cut flying down the field.
She has impeccable instinct and technical ability.
Game Basics
Each team will have 11 players on the field at a time.
Game time consists of two 45-minute halves plus overtime.
If a tie still remains after 120 minutes of play, a penalty shootout will determine the winner.
The team that scores the most out of these kicks is the winner.
It takes longer to recover from a turf field than natural grass," Alex Morgantold USA Today.
Lingo to Know
Attacker: The player with the ball.
Advantage: When a team has possession of the ball and outnumbers the opponent near their goal.
Corner kick: This is a way to restart the game after a ball goes out-of-bounds.
The offensive team kicks the ball inbound from the nearest corner.
Caution/Yellow Card: A card held up by the ref to warn a player of unsportsmanlike conduct.
Two cards on a player may get them kicked out of a game.
Hacking: Kicking another player’s legs.
Indirect free kick: A kick given to a player for a foul by the opponent.
Service: Passing the ball.
Photo Credit: GEOFF ROBINS / Stringer, Getty
